Shenendehowa Boys Raising Awareness To Important Cause

Over the past two years, the Clifton Park Shenendehowa (NY) High School boys track and field team has taken part in a character education program called "Coaching Boys Into Men."

Over that span, the program has helped educate young athletes about a series of important issues, including lessons on dating, teaching young males about domestic violence, how to prevent it and how to watch out for signs of abuse.

This year, Shenendehowa boys head coach Jason Burlingame said the team has "decided to expand the program by dedicating all of the meters they run to the University of Utah high jump standout Lauren McCluskey, who was killed this October before their season began."

This season the Shen boys are dedicating every meter we run to raise awareness for dating violence. This fall, University of Utah Track and Field standout Lauren McCluskey tragically lost her life. We will be honoring her life by tweeting our weekly #Meters4McCluskey@MileSplitNY

Since then, the team, which uses the Twitter handle @LegionRising, has logged over 2.5 million meters on the track and road.

The team will not be soliciting donations, though it is hoping to expand the awareness of this issue even more by driving a social campaign for every meter run in 2019.

Burlingame has asked that if teams would be interested in joining the Shenendehowa boys team that they use the #Meters4McCluskey hashtag on social media. For more information on the campaign or on the program's teaching points, contact Burlingame at burljaso@shenet.org.